ECONOMY

Economists Unfazed by Surge in Jobless Claims: The number of Americans applying for first-time unemployment benefits rose by 70,000 last week, but economists saw no cause for concern over the long-term job outlook. While the Labor Department’s report reflects continuing instability of the nation’s job market, economists said it should not be taken too seriously because government statisticians have difficulty adjusting claims during holiday weeks. The latest reporting period occurred between Christmas and New Year’s. The increase was the steepest since July, 1992. For the week ended Dec. 25, California registered 5,234 fewer initial jobless claims, the biggest decline among states. The numbers for both emergency claims and individual state claims lag behind the initial jobless claims report by a week.